


A Friend In Need

by Mez10000



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms
Genre: Good coffee, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Waluigi being a love-stricken sap, good food, light inuendo, light teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 10:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11484567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mez10000/pseuds/Mez10000
Summary: Waluigi mopes while Luigi is away. Wario invites him over so he can worry in nicer surroundings.





	A Friend In Need

**Author's Note:**

> This one is dedicated to everyone in a long distance relationship and their amazingly supportive friends and family.

It had been days since Luigi had been swept up into another adventure. As usual, it was swift and sudden, leaving him with no time to send a message. Of course, there was only one person he would need to tell.

Waluigi had heard the news anyway. Every major event concerning the Mario brothers got reported by the shrill Toads in increasingly panicked voices and newsletters until the situation was resolved, so all he need do was keep his eyes and ears open to find out. While it was a commonplace occurrence, he couldn’t help feeling down about it.

It wasn’t just that he missed the company, though that was an element. Luigi could normally visit him for lunch or dinner unannounced and they could while away the time together. They were usually so comfortable with each other that they rarely needed to talk, busying themselves with their own projects, but when they were feeling the need to talk, they could chat for hours on the most innocuous of things.

Waluigi’s house, usually a bastion of peace, felt unnaturally still and silent now. The piranha plants could be faintly heard snoring outside, but no other sounds could break up the hush. Waluigi couldn’t bring himself to play a record or tinker with his machinery, not right now. He had planned to share his latest musical find - a mellow jazz album - with his boyfriend the next time he visited. Parts from Luigi’s latest machination were still strewn over the workbench, and Waluigi didn’t want to misplace them.

A trill rang through the room, startling Waluigi. His phone rarely rang, and only a handful of people even knew the number. He contemplated ignoring it for a moment, not feeling as though he had the energy to speak. For a long moment, he just wished the ringing would stop and leave him alone with his thoughts. Eventually, he forced himself to pick up the receiver. Before he could even answer, he could hear yelling from the phone.

“-pid piece of - no one ever answers the phone anymore- don’t they know how busy I-”

“Wario?” Waluigi interrupted.

“About time you answered! You shouldn’t keep me waiting like this. You’re coming to Diamond City.”

“I don’t think…”

“Look, I know Mister Lanky is out of town for a bit, and if I know you, all you’re doing is brooding about it. You can worry just fine over here, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“But…”

Waluigi was only left with the dial-tone to argue against. It was not as though he objected to visiting his friend, it was more that doing anything, no matter how small, seemed like effort he just could not afford to spend. There just seemed like so many steps to go through simply to get out of the house, and then to travel and get to Wario’s apartment. However, Waluigi knew that if he failed to turn up, he could look forward to many more phone calls checking up on him. It was best to go along with Wario’s plans - certainly less hassle in the long run.

The journey passed in a blur; but while Diamond City was not very far away, Waluigi could not help spending the time worrying. Luigi was capable of keeping himself safe, of course, but Waluigi knew the sorts of dangers he routinely got dragged into. What if something took him by surprise? Anything could happen and how would Waluigi even know? He was powerless to do anything but wait and hope that no news was good news.

The real worry was the uncertainty. Luigi could be gone for hours, days or weeks, and there was never any way to tell which it would be. No way to find out, either. Luigi had been stranded in space, faced perils in the Beanbean Kingdom, been sent to the past and spent a terrifying few days inside of Bowser - and those were the adventures Luigi told him about afterwards. There were many more he wasn’t aware of, Waluigi knew, and he suspected he wasn’t told in an effort to stop him worrying.

Before he knew it, he was at Wario’s flat. It was a large, modern place, gleaming with metal and glass on the top floor of one of the city’s skyscrapers. He buzzed the intercom to get the outer door unlocked and rode the elevator all the way to the top. When he knocked on the door to the flat, it was opened immediately and Waluigi was all but dragged into the space. It smelt strongly of food - rosemary and basil and tomato...not to mention the pungent overtones of garlic laced through it.

“If I know you, you haven’t eaten anything today,” Wario said, guiding Waluigi into one of the chairs around a large dining table.

Wario was right - Waluigi had a problem remembering to eat at the best of times, and his stomach had perked up at the aroma of cooking to remind him of the truth of those words.

“I haven’t,” he admitted.

It was a testament to how long they had been friends that Waluigi didn’t lie or deflect his answer. At first, he had kept his eating habits - or lack thereof - secret. Wario had always made sure he had enough snacks for two or cooked enough that there would always be leftovers, and Waluigi realised he was not fooling Wario at all. Now it was customary for there to be a meal waiting for Waluigi whenever he visited and Waluigi tried to be honest with his friend.

“It’s nothing special, just spaghetti meatballs,” Wario said, amongst a clatter of dishes.

This was a little lie of omission - Waluigi knew the dish was made from scratch, and an old family standby. It was Wario’s standby comfort food dish - hearty and flavourful. Just because it was familiar certainly did not mean it was not special.

The dish, gently steaming, was placed in front of him, and Wario grated a generous amount of Parmesan on top. It looked and smelt delicious, and Waluigi wasted no time digging into it. Wario was a little more restrained once he dished out his own portion and took his seat, enjoying the food rather than inhaling it for once. Waluigi suspected that he had already eaten, and that this meal was more for his benefit than Wario’s.

Wario left a generous pause to let Waluigi eat in peace, but when he was idly picking at the food rather than eating in earnest, Wario broke the amicable silence.

“What are you really worried about?”

Waluigi hesitated before he answered. “What if he gets hurt?”

“You know better than most how capable he is - hell, in that smash arena--”

“Don’t,” Waluigi moaned.

He had overlooked the possibility that Luigi might be physically unharmed but mentally in anguish over his actions, like he had been after every time he had been forced to fight. Now he felt a fool - of course that was more likely. Luigi was a formidable force, barely knowing his own strength at times, but as soon as the danger was over, he would be crippled with guilt. Waluigi wished his boyfriend would be a little more selfish sometimes.

Wario had - after the initial shock - managed to adjust to the mysterious abductions by simply rationalising it. He had done whatever he had needed to in order stay alive and well, and he was not going to let himself feel bad for that. Waluigi thought Mario might have coped in the same way - they both had a stubborn selfish streak when it came to their own well-being. It was part of the reason they clashed as often as they did.

Luigi, however, had to moralise his actions. To wring his hands over his actions. Mostly because he could not place his own importance over anyone else’s. Waluigi loved that about him, to a point, but it held him back from making peace with his own actions when he was forced to defend himself.

To Wario’s credit, he seemed to know he had stumbled onto a sore subject, and changed it.

“How’s the garden?”

“Good. You should come and see it sometime. The Piranha Plants practically seed themselves now - I just thin it out to stop them overcrowding,” Waluigi said, seizing the change of topic for the obvious distraction it was. “The new buds are really cute this time of year. Still got a nasty bite on them, though.”

“You should help me plant up my pots on the roof sometime.”

“You only want boring plants,” Waluigi groaned.

“They’re not boring!” Wario protested. “Just because they’re a little less bitey…”

Waluigi sighed for effect. “Alright, what did you want to plant?”

Wario guffawed. “Garlic. Onions. Maybe chives. Basil - definitely some basil.”

“They are definitely boring.”

“You’ll thank me when I have fresh herbs to cook with.”

The debate was familiar territory - Waluigi believed that if a plant could not fight back, there was no challenge in trying to cultivate it, whereas Wario was firmly about having a good stock of bold flavours in his food. Waluigi would still help him with planting up and Wario would still cook good meals to share, but the act of rehashing their old points was a welcome diversion from the last few days of moping.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Wario answered it, reverting to his usual brusque manner in an instant.

“What? What is it?”

After a long pause, his tone softened somewhat.

“Yes, he is here. I’ll put him on for you.”

He beckoned Waluigi over to the phone and passed the handset over without a word.

“Hello?” Waluigi said.

“You are there! I came to your house and you weren’t there and I was worried but I thought you might have gone out and I tried everyone I could think of which was only really Wario, but--”

Waluigi laughed, relief and joy flooding through him at the sound of his boyfriend’s voice. “Slow down, Eyeballs. I’m fine. Are you alright?”

“I’m okay. I just wanted to see you.”

“I can get back in...about an hour?”

Wario interrupted. “Don’t be stupid - he’s welcome here.”

“Or you can come over here,” Waluigi amended. “Do you know the way to Diamond City?”

“Yes, but...is it really okay?”

Waluigi glanced over at Wario, who was rummaging around in his sleek kitchen. “He’d take it as an insult if you didn’t.”

“Okay, then. Where am I going once I get into the city?”

Waluigi rattled off the instructions from memory, said a short goodbye and received one in return, then hung up. He was grinning ear to ear, and couldn’t sit back down again. He was just full of excited, fidgety energy and couldn’t possibly settle, not now he knew Luigi was safe and on his way.

“The chair’s not gonna explode,” Wario drawled.

Waluigi paced a little. “I know. Just can’t stop...he’s going to be here soon!”

Wario smiled and shook his head slightly. “Then come over here and make yourself useful. I need the can in the top cabinet.”

Waluigi reached it with ease, being taller than his friend. He raised his eyebrows when he saw what it was, but kept his mouth shut. Wario knew exactly what he was doing.

“You really are smitten with him, aren’t you?”

Waluigi paused. Wario measured out a few scoops from the tin cylinder into a little canister and appraised it carefully before adding another scoop for good measure. When it was clear Waluigi didn’t really have a response, Wario continued.

“I knew you liked him. Even loved him. But you’re completely head over heels. I’d never seen that from you,” Wario explained, handing Waluigi the canister - now with a lid and handle on it. “Turn that.”

As Waluigi turned the handle on the canister it made a satisfying crunch. Wario was rummaging around in the back of a cupboard, eventually giving a noise of triumph and withdrew, brandishing a large, tall pot made of shiny chrome.

“He’s good for you,” Wario continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

Waluigi ducked his head - he hadn’t realised he was quite so easy to read. Spending so much time keeping a lid on his emotions had just bottled them up to explode right now. At least it was in a safe place.

“Not that I’m complaining, but why did you invite him over?” Waluigi asked.

Wario was usually quite protective of his own spaces. As far as Waluigi knew, even the gaggle of people who worked at WarioWare Inc. had never set foot inside Wario’s own flat.

“I just want to talk to the person who makes you this happy. There’s not often many chances without other people snooping in.”

Waluigi could not fault that. It wouldn’t look any better for Luigi to be seen having a civil conversation with Wario than with Waluigi himself. Worse, in all likelihood.

“I think this has been ground enough, now,” Waluigi said, handing the canister back over to Wario.

Wario inspected the contents critically and gave them an appreciative sniff. “I think you’re right.”

They set the table in mostly silence, aside from a few hums. Three large mugs, a small pitcher of cream, a sugar dish with spoons and a plate of hard almond biscuits adorned the table when they were through.

The intercom buzzer cut through the flat.

“I’ll let you get it,” Wario said with a wink.

Waluigi all but ran to the door, pressing the security buzzer to open the street door the moment he heard Luigi’s voice. He waited by the door until he heard a knock, then opened it and gathered up his boyfriend in a tight hug. If Luigi was surprised, he only let it last half a second before he embraced back, just as fiercely.

“Missed you,” Waluigi confessed, feeling though the words were completely inadequate.

Luigi understood, though, squeezing a little tighter. “Missed you, too.”

Eventually, they manage to pry their hands off each other long enough to get Luigi over the threshold and the door safely shut behind him. Waluigi swooped in to capture Luigi’s lips with his own, noticing that Wario was pointedly not paying any attention to his front door. Once they were thoroughly reaquainted with each other, they parted slightly, Waluigi winding his hand into one of Luigi’s.

“I’ve got to say, I didn’t expect Wario to have a place like…” Luigi trailed off from his whisper, waving an arm at the sleek and shiny, open-plan decor. “I’m not really sure I should be here.”

Waluigi squeezed his hand. “He wouldn’t have invited you if he didn’t want you here.”

“Are you two done being sappy, yet?” Wario called from the kitchen.

“Almost,” Waluigi answered, seizing the moment to plant a kiss on Luigi’s forehead. “Come on, Eyeballs.”

Waluigi led them to the table as Wario placed the large pot, gently steaming, on the table.

“Coffee?”

Luigi’s eyes flickered from Wario to Waluigi. “I-I couldn’t--”

“Trust me,” Waluigi interrupted, “you don’t want to pass this up.”

“O-okay.”

They sat down, Wario pushing a handle atop the pot down until it had disappeared into it. He poured generously into each mug.

“Help yourself to sugar and cream,” Wario said, doing just that, heaping two spoons of sugar into his mug.

“You might want to try a little less sugar than usual,” Waluigi advised his boyfriend.

Luigi hesitantly put half a spoon of sugar in his mug and a dash of the cream. He sipped cautiously at the coffee, eyes going wide.

“This is the best coffee I’ve had for years,” he confessed.

Waluigi chuckled. “Told ya that you wouldn’t want to miss out on it.”

Waluigi took an appreciative sip of his own mug, prepared with a spoon of sugar and a healthy pour of cream. It was a beautiful roast, with the faintest suggestion of chocolate and orange, rich in flavour and just the slightest tang of acidity. He was no slouch with coffee himself, and neither was Luigi, but the difference between their everyday morning cups and this was the difference between fast food and a gourmet meal. Given that he had seen the can of beans, he knew it came with a price tag to match.

Waluigi reached over for a biscuit, drawing Luigi’s attention to the plate.

“Is that cantuccini?” Luigi asked incredulously.

“Sure is,” Wario answered with a grin.

“Where did you get these? I’ve not found anywhere in the Mushroom Kingdom that even knows what an almond is.”

“Baked them myself. Getting almonds is tricky over here, but if you know where to go, there are a few stockers in Diamond City.”

“C-could I...May I have a copy of the recipe?”

Waluigi casually snaked his arm around Luigi so he could stroke at the small of his back. The gesture did seem to relax Luigi a little, as he visibly untensed after a few seconds. He did still clutch the mug like it was a lifeline, however.

“Well, it is a closely guarded family recipe…”

Waluigi knew this for the lie it was. To the best of his knowledge, Wario’s family had never left him anything of any value - not even memories - much less passed on a recipe. It was really a recipe Wario had found on the back of a bag of flour that he had added to over the years. Wario pretended to think about it for a little moment.

“But for you, I think Nonna would have made an exception. Just don’t go spreading it around!”

Waluigi rolled his eyes, but let Wario have his fun. He certainly wasn’t going to explain that Wario never even knew his grandmother - if Wario wanted to open up about his childhood, that would be his choice and no one else’s.

“Who would I tell?” Luigi asked. “I don’t know many people who bake.”

Wario smiled, and the room fell into a brief friendly silence.

“So, where have you been this time?” Waluigi asked his partner.

“Have you heard of the Sprixie Kingdom?” Luigi asked.

Both Waluigi and Wario shook their heads.

“Neither had I. But Bowser wanted to cause mayhem there, and you know what my bro’s like…”

Luigi spent a little time complaining about his latest outing, with small pauses for appropriate noises and nods from the other two. By all accounts, it had not been too taxing - just stopping Bowser from his usual shenanigans. While not exactly safe, he had been able to handle the adventure with something akin to routine, and nothing highly unusual had happened. Mildly unusual had happened, of course - the brothers seemed to be a magnet for it - and in this case, they had found a type of bell that had transformed them - Peach included - into cats. Which made for an amusing round of stories loosely themed around what the silliest thing they had done as a cat was.

As Luigi kept talking, Waluigi could see him gaining confidence and relaxing in the new situation, until you could barely tell he had been nervous at all. He couldn’t help but be proud of Luigi for facing up to his anxieties, but he was profoundly grateful to Wario for being unusually mindful as a host.

After a particularly funny story involving the Princess getting stuck up a tree - which Luigi had made the other two promise to never repeat as Peach had threatened treason at the time if the story ever got out - Waluigi noticed that the sky outside was growing darker.

“It’s getting late,” he observed. “We’d better go if we want to get home before dark.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Wario interjected. “The guest bedroom’s all made up for you.”

Luigi made a little sound. “Oh, then I’d better be on my way--”

“That includes you, green bean.”

“B-but I...Are you sure?”

“Course I am,” Wario said. “Only one rule. No stains on those bedsheets, alright? They’re pure Sarasan cotton and need a careful touch.”

Luigi blushed at the implication.

“Relax, we aren’t gonna stain anything,” Waluigi assured him. “I know you’d skin me alive. Maybe leave Eyeballs as a warning to anyone else who dared.”

After some giggles, the conversation slipped back into polite, harmless topics. Waluigi was not following it much, something about what card games they all knew and Luigi revealing that he was something of a card counting genius, just incase anyone got any ideas about playing poker anytime. Waluigi was just enjoying having everyone close and friendly, listening more to the tones of their voices than the content of their sentences. The sky grew darker until Waluigi was stifling yawns behind his hands.

“Time for bed,” Wario announced. “You remember where it is, right?”

Waluigi nodded and said his goodnights, steering Luigi towards the guest room.

“You’ve not been sleeping,” Luigi muttered as they walked. “You aren’t usually this tired this early.”

“It’s hard when I don’t know where you are,” Waluigi admitted.

Luigi nodded. “I’m here now.”

The bedroom was - like everything in the flat - modern and spacious, yet the large bed took centre stage, looking plush and inviting. They undressed without much fanfare and Waluigi found a spare set of his clothes that had been left there some time previously.

Luigi needed to use the bathroom, so Waluigi lent him a pair of his trousers - almost comically oversized in leg length, but fit snugly around his hips - and gave him directions to the bathroom he knew was down the hallway. Waluigi settled himself in the bed while he waited for Luigi to come back. He snuggled himself into the plush blankets and smiled to himself. Given the day’s beginning, he never would have imagined that he would go to bed so contented. His boyfriend was home and safe, he was fed and pleasantly warm and sleepy, and he’d spent a friendly evening with two of the people he cherished most. All was right with the world, it seemed. Now if only Luigi would hurry up and get back to bed…

As if on cue, Luigi returned to the room.

"Found the bathroom okay? You were gone a long time."

"I ran into Wario on the way out. Waiting for me, I think. He said..."

Luigi paused, trying to remember the words exactly.

"He said that even though my bro's a prat, he wouldn't hold it against me. That no one should be hated for something that's out of their control. And that I was welcome anytime."

Waluigi smiled - from the sounds of it, Wario had been holding onto that all night in order to tell Luigi on his own. Maybe he suspected that Luigi wouldn't trust the sentiment if Waluigi was there - that it might seem forced due to his presence. It wasn't exactly an unreasonable thought - Waluigi himself hadn't known exactly how much of Wario's charitable mood today was genuine or simply because Luigi was Waluigi's partner until now.

“Come here,” Waluigi murmured, holding his arms out in invitation.

Luigi clambered into bed beside him, getting comfortable underneath the thick blankets, pressing into Waluigi’s side. Waluigi wrapped his arms around his partner with a content sigh. He knew he probably resembled a clinging blooper like this, but he needed to feel Luigi’s solid, dependable warmth next to him. From the way Luigi clung back, Waluigi doubted he minded much.

As the pair drifted off to sleep, Waluigi could only think how lucky he was. Not only for having a partner as kind hearted as Luigi - that was a commonly recurring thought and hardly a surprise. But having a friend like Wario, who would support him when he really needed it, and open his home to his enemy’s brother...he was lucky that when he was in need, he would always have a friend he could count on.


End file.
